Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with its ability to inhibit the mutant form of KIT in the treatment of KIT dependent diseases.
The c-kit gene is located on locus q11-q12 of the human fourth chromosome and encodes the protein KIT (also known as CD 117), which is a cytokine receptor that is expressed on the surface of a number of different cells. See Rulina et al., Biochemistry (Moscow). Activated Leukemic Oncogenes AML1-ETO and c-kit: Role of Development of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Current Approaches for Their Inhibition. 2010; 75(13): 1650-1666. KIT is a type III receptor tyrosine kinase of the monomeric receptor family and the transmembrane receptor for stem cell factor. See Tefferi and Pardanani. Leukemia and Lymphoma, March 2010; 51(3): 360-362.
KIT is notably expressed by mast cells, hematopoietic progenitor cells, germ cells, melanocytes, and interstitial cells of Cajal in the gastrointestinal tract and is relevant for normal mast cell development, hematopoiesis, gametogenesis, melanogenesis, and regulation of slow gastric waves. See Miettinen et al. KIT (CD117): A Review on Expression in Normal and Neoplastic Tissues, and Mutations and their Clinicopathologic Correlation. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. 2005; 13: 205-220.
Activating mutations that give rise to ligand-independent activation of KIT occur in the juxtamembrane and kinase domains of the gene. See Hug et al. ETO Interacting Proteins. Oncogene. 2004; 23(24): 4270-4274. Mutations that lead to an activated form of KIT have been shown to play a role in proliferative disease such as mastocytosis, acute myeloid leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, sinonasal NK/T-cell lymphoma, seminomas, dysgerminomas, melanomas, and thymic carcinomas.
The currently used targeted agent for the treatment of diseases associated with both wild-type and mutated KIT is Imatinib mesylate (also known as GLEEVEC or GLIVIC; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland). Imatinib demonstrates activity against certain transmembrane and juxta-membrane KIT mutants, namely F522C and V560G, respectively, but this activity is significantly lowered in common kinase domain mutants, including D816V. See Akin et al. A Novel Form of Mastocytosis Associated with a Transmembrane C-KIT Mutation and Response to Imatinib. Blood. 2004; 103: 3222-3225; Zermati et al. Effect of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor STI571 on the Kinase Activity of Wild-type and Various Mutated C-KIT Receptors Found in Mast Cell Neoplasms. Oncogene. 2003; 22: 660-664; Akin et al. Effects of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor STI571 on Human Mast Cells Bearing Wild-type or Mutated C-KIT. Exp Hematol. 2003; 31: 686-692; Ma et al. The C-KIT Mutation Causing Human Mastocytosis is Resistant to STI571 and Other KIT Kinase Inhibitors; Kinases with Enzymatic Site Mutations Show Different Inhibitor Sensitivity Profiles than Wild-type Kinases and Those with Regulatory-type Mutations. Blood. 2002; 99: 1741-1744. Other investigational inhibitors of KIT mutated kinases in the art include Dasatinib (Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), New York, N.Y.), Midostaurin (also known as PKC412; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland), and Masatinib (also known as AB1010; AB Science, France).
KIT-dependent diseases include diseases characterized by the known KIT mutations D816F, D816H, D816N, D816Y, D816V, K642E, Y823D, Del 550-558, Del 557-561, N822K, V654A, N822H, Del 550-558+V654A, Del557-561+V654A, Ins503AY, V560G, 55bNP, Del557-558, Del W559-560, F522C, Del579, R634W, K642E, T801I, C809G, D820Y, N822K, N822H, Y823D, Y823C and T670I.